Gregory Jacobs

There have probably been more accessible spots than a West Virginia holler for the launch of a successful film career, but for director Gregory Jacobs it was ideal. While working as a production assistant on director John Sayles' "Matewan" in the fall of 1986, the New York University student made an observation that would help shape his destiny.

The clever and witty "Criminal," a remake of the Argentine movie "Nine Queens" by first-time director Gregory Jacobs, takes place over one eventful day in the life of two con men who stumble onto the scam of a lifetime, apparently by accident. Except there are no accidents in bunco movies. Rodrigo (Diego Luna) is a Mexican American kid from East L.A. who walks into a drab casino in Gardena and proceeds to pull the well-worn "change for a hundred" routine on a couple of waitresses.

The clever and witty "Criminal," a remake of the Argentine movie "Nine Queens" by first-time director Gregory Jacobs, takes place over one eventful day in the life of two con men who stumble onto the scam of a lifetime, apparently by accident. Except there are no accidents in bunco movies. Rodrigo (Diego Luna) is a Mexican American kid from East L.A. who walks into a drab casino in Gardena and proceeds to pull the well-worn "change for a hundred" routine on a couple of waitresses.

There have probably been more accessible spots than a West Virginia holler for the launch of a successful film career, but for director Gregory Jacobs it was ideal. While working as a production assistant on director John Sayles' "Matewan" in the fall of 1986, the New York University student made an observation that would help shape his destiny.

Director Steven Soderbergh's latest film lacks star power -- on purpose. The cast of Soderbergh's project, currently being shot in Parkersburg, W.Va., and nearby Belpre, Ohio, is composed entirely of local residents -- all of them non-actors. Instead of holding an open casting call for the movie, tentatively titled "Bubble," the filmmakers looked for residents they thought would best fit the movie.

Fans can soon get more of "Magic Mike": The unlikely hit stripper film staring Channing Tatum and inspired by the actor's life is Broadway bound. "Magic Mike, the Musical" is headed to Broadway, Tatum has confirmed via Twitter . No word on if Tatum will make his Broadway debut reprising the less-than-dressed role for the stage, but the star will serve as a producer. The production has veteran talent backstage. PHOTOS: Hollywood stars on stage Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey, creators of the Tony-winning "Next to Normal," will write the songs, while "Glee" writer Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, who co-wrote the book for "Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark" will pen the book, Deadline.com reports.

Steven Soderbergh's new movie is called "Bubble," which would suggest that somebody -- the characters, the audiences, the filmmakers -- is supposed to be hovering above cold, hard reality in a fragile membrane of some kind. Nothing in the lives depicted on the screen reflects the effervescence of the title, though, and the director stares at his protagonists with such austere, Bressonian intensity it starts to feel impolite after a while.

When a set of pre-shooting guidelines a director came up with for his actors turns out to be cleverer, better written and of considerable more interest than the finished film, that's a bad sign. A very bad sign. The guidelines came to light because of how director Steven Soderbergh shot "Full Frontal." Needing, he's told interviewers, a change of pace from recent logistics-heavy studio films such as "Ocean's Eleven," Soderbergh wanted his next film to be as close to the bone as possible.

Though there are a few traditional sitcoms on the air these days that are filmed in front of a live studio audience, like CBS' "Two and a Half Men," the three-camera format is more the exception than the rule. These days, the majority of comedies on both the broadcast networks and cable are not studio-bound and are shot in the same method as a drama series -- they are filmed over several days without an audience.

"Solaris" accomplishes many if not quite all of its aims, but what it does most of all is reinforce Steven Soderbergh's position as Hollywood's most gifted chameleon, a filmmaker able to operate with elan in all manner of genres. With the divergent "Ocean's Eleven," "Traffic," "Erin Brockovich" and "Out of Sight" on his recent resume, the writer-director now turns to a remake of the Russian science-fiction classic, directed by celebrated Soviet filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972.